Patient: "Midnight" 11 yr old Pony
Presenting complaint: Severe colic
Midnight started showing 1signs of colic at 7 am on October 13, 1998.When he did not improve with treatment from his regular veterinarian, he was sent to Northwest Equine Surgical and Medical Center for emergency treatment and hospitalization.
Midnight was seen by Dr. Jan Palmer and her veterinary technicians. A physical examination was performed. Midnight's 2heart rate was very high (120 beats per minute) and he was very depressed and dehydrated.
A 3nasogastric tube was passed into his stomach and several gallons of foul smelling fluid were removed.Dr. Palmer performed an examination of his internal organs (4 rectal exam) and found that his small intestine was full of fluid, just like his stomach. Because of these abnormal findings, Midnight needed 5emergency colic surgery.
Dr. Palmer and her staff performed surgery immediately. Midnight had part of his small intestine trapped in a space called the 6epiploic foramen. Because the intestine was trapped in that small space, the blood supply was cut off and the intestine was dying and the normal fluid contents of the small intestine were backing up into the stomach. Dr. Palmer removed the entrapped intestine and resected the dying segment.
Midnight recovered from anesthesia and was treated with IV fluids, antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs. He recovered very well and was sent home to his owners one week later.
1colic:Unfortunately, an episode of colic can strike even the healthiest horse without warning. Fortunately, for Midnight's sake, he received immediate veterinary treatment and emergency surgery. Good feeding, vaccination, and deworming practices can help prevent some types of colic, but owners should be aware that any horse can be a victim of a serious colic episode. Many types of colic can be treated successfully at home by your horse's regular veterinarian, but other types may require hospitalization, intensive care, and surgery to resolve the colic episode. Years ago, colic surgery was often unsuccessful, but advances in equine surgery and anesthesia have dramatically increased the survival rate of horses undergoing abdominal (colic) surgery, making it one of the more common major surgeries performed on horses today.
SIGNS OF COLIC
These signs include:
• loss of appetite
• pawing and rolling
• a bloated appearance to the horse's abdomen
• straining to pass manure or urinate.
2heart rate: The normal heart rate of an adult horse should be between 30 and 48 beats per minute.You can take your horse's heart rate by feeling for a pulse either under the jaw or on the back of the fetlock. Or, you can listen to the heart by placing a stethoscope on the chest just behind the elbow. Ask your veterinarian to show you how to take your horse's heart rate the next time he or she visits your farm.
3nasogastric tube: This is a long plastic tube that is inserted in your horse's nose, down the esophagus and into the horse's stomach. In some types of colic, fluid backs up into the stomach from the intestines. Because horses can't vomit, fluid can build up in the stomach and distend it, causing severe pain and even rupture of the stomach. As part of a colic examination, your veterinarian can pass the nasogastric tube and check for fluid build-up in the stomach. If there is no fluid in the stomach, your vet will often administer mineral oil or another laxative directly into the stomach to treat impaction type colic.
4rectal exam: This examination is performed in order to help diagnose the different types of colic. Equine veterinarians are trained to recognize different internal organs by feel and they can use this exam to help decide which part of the intestinal tract is affected in a colic episode.
5emergency colic surgery: This procedure is performed when a horse's colic episode does not resolve with medical treatment, or when the horse is in severe pain from colic.The horse is anesthetized and placed on his back on a padded surgery table. The bottom of the abdomen is shaved and prepared for sterile surgery. An incision is made down the center of the abdomen and the surgeon examines the intestines and corrects the problem causing the pain.This may involve removing a segment of damaged intestine and suturing the two healthy ends together (resection and anastamosis).
6epiploic foramen: This is a small opening in the abdominal cavity up near the liver. Normally, no intestine should be in this space, but sometimes, for unknown reasons, a segment of small intestine will make its way through the epiploic foramen. Because the opening to the epiploic foramen is small, if too much intestine gets into the space, it gets trapped on the other side of the foramen and can't get out. The trapped intestine starts to swell, compressing the delicate blood supply to the intestine. If compressed too long, the segment of intestine will start to die.
 Listening to the heart. |
 Feeling the digital arterial pulse. |
 Feeling the facial arterial pulse. |
 Passing a nasogastric tube. |
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Distended small intestine found at surgery. The dark intestine has lost its blood supply and will need to be |
